Monday, February 20, 2017

Gameday Preview: Texas Stars at San Jose Barracuda

Texas Stars
24-21-1-2, 51 pts, 0.531
#5 Pacific Division

at

San Jose Barracuda
30-11-1-3, 64 pts, 0.711
#1 Pacific Division

February 20th at 5:00 PM

SAP Center, San Jose, CA

If there were any game to test Texas's mettle, this is the one. San Jose is on an eleven-game winning streak. During the streak, they have outscored opponents 43-18. Troy Grosenick has been in net for most of those win. Mantas Armalis only has two of them and both were by a single goal, 4-3 OT and 5-4. So it would seem that Grosenick gets the start.

San Jose is in a spot right now where you have to ask: What isn't going right for them? They are the #4 ranked power play (24.1%) and the second-best penalty kill in the league (86.4%). Their combined PP+PK numbers are the best in the league at 110.5%. Usually teams strive to get this number to 110. Only San Jose and Grand Rapids are currently at or above the mark. Texas is at 94.2%.

Texas has a lot going on as this game comes up on the schedule. Julius Honka and Denis Gurianov are both questionable. Andrew Bodnarchuk will miss the game and rejoin the team on Tuesday as he tends to his wife and new daughter. Finally, Matt Mangene will be serving the second game of his six game suspension. To relieve some pressure on the backend, Texas signed Aaron Harstad to a PTO yesterday.

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